Hi!!.....Yes I'm a newbie with many questions :P :)

[jigglyjoo]

Hi, so glad to have joined, little nervous about asking questions after some things I have read about newbies but we all have to start somewhere
We just bought our first ever snake, a magnificent Jungle that is about 6 -7 mths old. Only been one night and awoke to see eyes were milky which I know is shedding sign. I get told different things by different handlers about the process, but I understand their eyes go milky then clear a few times before they shed. Also I understand they need humidity to shed, one person tells me to spray the air with mist, one doesn't. The last shed was November 4th, so it is due it seems as we have got her/him (don't know sex of our beauty yet). Also told not to feed till next week to allow to settle in, and if they are shedding, from things I have read, do you not feed them for a week after shed? How long does the shedding process take? So sorry if my questions seem dumb
Also for handling, should I allow my snake to crawl out to me as opposed to just picking up when resting? I know we will work our beauty out and it's tempremant, every creature is an individual
Loving our beauty soooo much already, the enclosure has become the new t.v We are all just mesmerized by the majesticness of this wonderful species and can't wait to interact with him/her more
So a big HELLO from me again, can't wait to start chatting with everyone and expanding my knowledge of the amazing reptile world!!

(P.s. Don't know why my pics come out sideways?)

 

[Chris1]

Hi,

In regards to shedding, the eyes go milky once, then they go clear, then they shed.(generally about 7-10 days from milky to shed) Once the snake has shed, it can be fed, the problem with feeding while in the shedding cycle is that if the food lump is too big, and the shed rolls, that it mightn't make it past the lump.
Some people prefer not to handle for 24 hours after the snake has shed in fear of damaging the new skin.

handling is different with every animal, you need to work out whats best for you and your snake. If the snake is in an easy position to gently scoop it up with no stress, then do that, if its on a branch and clinging on, come back later when its in a better position to remove easily.
SOme of my snakes start coming out as soon as the door is opened, others ignore me, then theres those that take the opportunity to try and kill me,...

Good luck with your jungle, I hope you got one with a nice temperament!

 

[jigglyjoo]

Thankyou so much for your reply! Some great info for me to take on board. His eyes have gone clear again just like you described, so he is not going to start shedding for another 7-10 days? We are meant to feed him next Thursday so that seems like it may pose a problem to feed him then if he is in his shedding cycle?
Haha, it's funny how every snake reacts differently, have seen a lot of Jungle's that like to come out when the door is opened, but this little fella seems to be the ignoring type at the moment. But he is in a new environment still getting used to his surroundings, so we will give him time. Might try tonight when he seems to be more actively stretching out and cruising around. Or should I maybe leave him alone while he is in a shedding cycle?
Time will soon tell if we got a good Jungle, I hear a lot are nippy with attitude but there are also a lot that are absolutely placid. He has not gone to strike any of the times we met him before we got him, actually quite liked cruising around in our hands......but then, I'd be pretty happy too if I just came out of a small click clack So fingers crossed he wasn't bluffing us.
P.s......Absolutely LOVE your quote!!

 

[PappaSmurf]

I'm pretty much a newbie to owning snakes too but this much I do know. There is no such thing as a dumb question, only dumb people that don't ask questions.
Sure there'll be some that will want to have a crack at you over certain questions but know that there are more on here that are willing to help you than have a go at you. I know this from the amount of help & sensible advice i have received.

If his eyes have cleared he'll shed very shortly so don't feed him 'til after he's done. We actually witnessed my wifes Stimsons Python shed on Sunday morining & it was all the more special as 3 of our grand kids were here to see it. We were all in awe of how he just crawled out of his skin & the whole process took under half an hour. The wife offered him a feed about 4 or 5 hours later & he took like he hadn't eaten in a month.
Good luck with the Jungle, they are a really nice snake.

 

[jigglyjoo]

Thanks so much PappaSmurf! Really appreciate what you said! We will just wait and see what is going to happen, all a new experience as never seen a snake shedding before or the process involved. Really wasn't sure about the humidity factor in the enclosure though......weather or not to spray a mist in there? I have read that a jungle needs 50-70% humidity to shed. We have put a large water bowl in there and are just waiting to see if the hydrometer is working as the first one we purchased didn't work, so brought another one and testing it by putting it in a wet teatowel for a couple of hours, if it works then we can pop it in the enclosure to check our humidity levels. Really want the best for our Jungle and want to make sure we are doing everything right

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

There are many reasons for bad shedding and to be honest raising humidity to excess can create more problems than it helps with.
Best thing to do is watch your animals and learn what they want. Too cool they will sit under heat source constantly, too hot they will always be at the cool end. Most snakes do not need to be sprayed at all so long as their environment is not too dry, (there are also many other reasons for bad shedding).
Some animals eat straight after shed although others will even eat during the process though most will refuse until they remove the skin.

 

[pinefamily]

Welcome to APS. Great to see another Adelaideian on here! Biggest tip is don't panic. Keep reading as many threads on here as you can, ask as many questions as you want, ignore any smart-*** answers, and enjoy your new reptile. I'll take a bet it won't be your last!

 

[jigglyjoo]

Cheers ''pinefamily"!! Great tip about not to panic! Lol! That seems to be how I have been feeling sometimes, worrying that we have everything right, not knowing as much as a reptile handler. One thing I do know though is that we LOVE animals and have a great respect for our newest recruit!! You are so right too, the list for more reptiles on the ''want'' list is growing. Just feels so great to wake up and know our gorgeous Jungle is in the house with us, I'm so happy, excited and nervous all at the same time! My mind is boggling with the information overload here, it's a fantastic help! Thanks for making me feel welcome!!

 

[Kai92]

Alot of newbies panic and do the first thing that they read as a answer to their problem. Best advice is do your research. There is always a thread already made to resolve your issues. Once you think you know the answer but not certain. Ask the question. You'll quickly learn there are alot of reptile keepers on here, that will give you the best advice possible. Listen to them exactly and do what they tell you. As soon as they give you an answer but you decide to do something else. That's when you'll get people in a way, having a go at you.

 

[jigglyjoo]

Thanks Kai92.....have been researching more than I ever probably did at school

 

[pinefamily]

It won't hurt to get a book or two on keeping reptiles. A good one to start with is "Keeping & Breeding Australian Pythons" by Mike Swan.

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